1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc apparatus for recording and reproducing a disc-type recording medium such as, for example, a CD or a DVD, and in particular to a disc apparatus having a reduced thickness which is used as a peripheral device of a video apparatus for home use or a computer for automatically mounting or removing of a disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, as computers are reduced in size and thickness, disc apparatuses such as, for example, CD-ROM drives, incorporated into the computers are also demanded to be reduced in size and thickness. In general, a disc apparatus for recording or reproducing a removable disc type recording medium such as, for example, a CD or a DVD, means for mounting or removing the disc on or from a turntable on which the disc is to be placed is required in order to exchange discs. For easier operation, a disc apparatus including means for automatically mounting or removing the disc without requiring manual operation of the user is demanded.
Conventionally, the automatic mounting and removing of the disc is performed as follows. After the disc is transported by a transportation mechanism, the disc is mounted or removed by holding the disc with a turntable below the disc and a clamper on the disc. The clamper is a clamping member for holding the disc.
A disc apparatus having such a function is disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 10-116458. The disc apparatus described in this publication performs as follows. A disc is transported to a turntable by a loading mechanism, and placed on the turntable. Then, a clamping member including a magnetic body presses the disc on the turntable from above the disc using a magnetic force of the clamping member. Against the magnetic force, the clamping member or the turntable is separated from the disc. Thus, the disc is removed.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 11-31350 describes a disc apparatus, which removes a disc as follows. The disc is transported to a turntable by a loading mechanism, and placed on the turntable. Then, a clamping member is pressed on the disc by an elastic force of a spring from above the disc, thereby holding the disc on the turntable. The clamping member or the turntable is separated from the disc in such a direction to remove the elastic force, thereby removing the disc.
However, the above-described conventional disc apparatuses include a clamping (clamper) having a certain thickness which is provided on a top surface of the disc for automatically mounting or removing the disc. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the disc apparatus.
According to one aspect of the invention, a disc apparatus includes a turntable having a surface on which a disc is to be placed and being rotatable around a rotation axis; a disc holding mechanism which can be in a first state of holding the disc on the turntable so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis and a second state which is different from the first state; a first contact member, and a moving mechanism for relatively moving the first contact member and the turntable with respect to each other. When the disc holding mechanism is in the second state the moving mechanism relatively moves the turntable with respect to the first contact member so that the first contact member contacts the disc; and when the first contact member contacts the disc, the moving mechanism operates so that the first contact member applies a force on the disc in a direction of pressing the disc toward the turntable, thus placing the disc holding mechanism in the second state into the first state.
In one embodiment of the invention, first contact member is at a fixed position, and the moving mechanism raises and lowers the turntable so as to relatively move the turntable with respect to the first contact member.
In one embodiment of the invention, the moving mechanism relatively moves the turntable with respect to the first contact member so that the disc holding mechanism is in the second state at time t1, the disc holding mechanism is changed from the second state into the first state at time t4 after time t1, and the disc holding mechanism is in the first state at time t5 after time t4.
In one embodiment of the invention, the disc includes an inner area, and the first contact member contacts the inner area of the disc.
In one embodiment of the invention, the disc apparatus further includes an outer casing. The first contact member is a projection provided on a portion of the outer casing.
In one embodiment of the invention, the projection is ring-shaped.
In one embodiment of the invention, the first contact member is a projection provided on a portion of an information device accommodating the disc apparatus.
In one embodiment of the invention, the projection is ring-shaped.
In one embodiment of the invention, the inner area is a non-recording area.
In one embodiment of the invention, the disc apparatus further includes a raising and lowering base for supporting the turntable via an elastic member interposed therebetween, the moving mechanism raises and lowers the turntable by raising and lowering the raising and lowering base.
In one embodiment of the invention, the elastic body acts as a vibration alleviating member for alleviating a vibration of the disc apparatus.
In one embodiment of the invention, when the first contact member contacts the disc, the turntable is substantially parallel to the first contact member.
In one embodiment of the invention, when the first contact member contacts the disc, the turntable is at a prescribed angle with respect to the first contact member.
According to another aspect of the invention, a disc apparatus includes a turntable having a surface on which a disc is to be placed and being rotatable around a rotation axis; a disc holding mechanism which can be in a first state of holding the disc on the turntable no au to be rotatable around the rotation axis and a second state which is different from the first state; a second contact member; and a moving mechanism for relatively moving the second contact member and the turntable with respect to each other. When the disc holding mechanism is in the first state, the moving mechanism relatively moves the turntable with respect to the second contact member so that the second contact member contacts the disc; and when the second contact member contacts the disc, the moving mechanism operates so that the second contact member applies a force on the disc in a direction of separating the disc away from the turntable, thus placing the disc holding mechanism in the first state into the second state.
In one embodiment of the invention, the second contact member is at a fixed position, and the moving mechanism raises and lowers the turntable so as to relatively move the turntable with respect to the second contact member.
In one embodiment of the invention, the moving mechanism relatively moves the turntable with respect to the second contact member so that the disc holding mechanism is in the first state at time t7, the disc holding mechanism is changed from the first state into the second state at time t8 after time t7, and the disc holding mechanism is in the second state at time t9 after time t8.
In one embodiment of the invention, the disc includes an inner area and an outer area, which are both non-recording areas, and the second contact member contacts one of the inner area and the outer area of the disc.
In one embodiment of the invention, the disc apparatus further includes an outer casing. The second contact member is a projection provided on a portion of the outer casing.
In one embodiment of the invention, the disc apparatus further includes a raising and lowering base for supporting the turntable via an elastic member interposed therebetween. The moving mechanism raises and lowers the turntable by raising and lowering the raising and lowering base.
In one embodiment of the invention, the elastic body acts as a vibration alleviating member for alleviating a vibration of the disc apparatus.
In one embodiment of the invention, the disc apparatus further includes at least another second contact member. The disc holding mechanism includes a plurality holding claws, and when the at least two second contact members contact the disc, the plurality of holding claws are provided around the rotation axis at an angle, which is different from the angle at which the at least two second contact members are provided around the rotation axis.
In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of holding claws are provided equidistantly on a circle having the rotation axis an the center.
A disc apparatus according to the present invention automatically mounts or removes a disc without using a clamper provided on the top surface of the disc for holding the disc together with the turntable below the disc.
Therefore, the number of components can be reduced and the thickness of the disc apparatus can be reduced by the thickness of the clamper.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantages of providing a compact and thin disc apparatus having an automatic disc mounting and removing mechanism without requiring a clamping member or a clamper on a top surface of a disc.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.